Compassion Summer 2023

5 tcf.org.uk COMPASSION | NEWS FROM THE CATHARINE POINTER MEMORIAL LIBRARY Compassion. Two for young children are Rachel Rivett’s Are You Sad Little Bear and Doris Stickney’s Waterbugs and Dragonflies while Michael Rosen’s Sad Book is for children from 2 to 102. Silverwing by Kenneth Steven explores the relationship between a boy and his dad after the boy’s mum has died and they are able to talk and connect with each other while nursing an injured greylag goose back to health. Then My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece by Annabel Pitcher is a story about a ten year old boy trying to make sense of his own and his parents’ grief after his sister dies. We also have some books to help adults to help children, such as Helping Children Grieve by Theresa Huntley and Healing a Child’s Grieving Heart by Alan D Wolfelt PHD. If only we’d had books like these all those years ago! To finish, I’d like to quote a page from Michael Rosen’s Sad Book. This is one of my favourite books and I read it every few weeks. It reminds me that I have the right to be sad sometimes and there’s nothing wrong with me if I am. Michael writes: Where is sad? Sad is anywhere It comes along and finds you When is sad? Sad is anytime It comes along and finds you Who is sad? Sad is anyone It comes along and finds you. Later he writes that he’s happy sometimes, remembering good times and enjoying happy times again. So can I, and that’s ok too. With love from Mary Our children brought us together; They didn’t want us on this journey alone, They knew we needed each other To survive the pain of them being gone. Judi Walker